Live from the locker room: Kings vs. T-Wolves

Here is the latest news live from Sleep Train Arena:

• The Sacramento Kings (26-50) are not finishing the season the way new head coach George Karl had hoped.  But with six games remaining, the Kings have a soft schedule and an outside shot at cresting 30 wins for the first time since the 2007-08 season.  Sacramento has lost five straight and tonight they get a young Minnesota Timberwolves (16-60) team that has lost six straight themselves.

• Rudy Gay returns to action tonight after missing three straight with a concussion.  The veteran wing cruised through the NBA concussion protocol over the last few days and will start tonight on the frontline for coach George Karl.

• After a huge week including back-to-back triple-doubles, DeMarcus Cousins is out for this evening’s game and according to Karl, he is likely to miss tomorrow’s game in Utah as well.  Cousins is struggling with a sore right foot.  Team doctors are scheduled to check it out tonight and there is a possibility Cousins will seek a second opinion.  With Cousins out, Karl said he was likely to start veteran forward Reggie Evans.

• The Timberwolves come in decimated by injuries.  Anthony Bennett (sprained right ankle), Gorhui Dieng (concussion), Kevin Garnett (sore left knee), Shabazz Muhammad (finger), Gary Neal (sprained left ankle), Nikola Pekovic (Achilles) and Ricky Rubio (left ankle) are all out tonight.  Minnesota will dress just nine players, including Arinze Onuaku who signed a 10-day contract earlier in the day.

• 7-foot-5 Sim Bhullar is still waiting to make his NBA debut.  The former Reno Bighorns center has drawn consecutive DNP-CDs since his call up on Friday, but there is a possibility he will see action tonight with Cousins out.  “I’m kind of relaxed a lot more than I was the last two or three days,” Bhullar said.  “I can just focus on the game instead of focusing on doing interviews and all of the other stuff.”